


Picking up a Stray

by ryanismyname



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Autistic Character, Child Abandonment, Multi, kinda child
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-16
Updated: 2015-05-16
Packaged: 2018-03-30 20:31:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3950725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ryanismyname/pseuds/ryanismyname
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tex finds a boy soaked from rain in the park with just a backpack and a dog to his name.<br/>Tex has always had a habit of trying to help even when she's not asked to.<br/>[modern non-military rvb au ft. Caboose, Freckles, Tex, Church, Washington, and probably more if I write more of this]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Picking up a Stray

**Author's Note:**

> I've thought a lot about this au, but most of it is in doodles and ramblings on my tumblr rather than actually written out  
> also i suck at writing im so sorry.  
> Ramblings and such about this au can be found here: http://ryanismynamee.tumblr.com/tagged/rvb-au-tag (contains spoilers i guess for this fic if i write more but /shrugs)
> 
> Drawings:  
> Caboose and Freckles: http://ryanismynamee.tumblr.com/post/115609832523/drew-a-thing-of-caboose-and-freckles-its-kinda  
> Tex: http://ryanismynamee.tumblr.com/post/114903093093/what-about-drawing-tex
> 
> P.S.: please let me know if theres any like formatting or something I can do to make my writing more accessible/ readable

Caboose sits alone on the park bench. He's so lost. All he has is a backpack with important documents and some cash from his parents. On the pavement under the bench lies Freckles, his black and white spotted body rises and falls a bit with his sleeping breaths. At least Caboose has Freckles with him. But other than what little he has on his person, he is utterly lost as to what to do. He hopes to himself that the universe will do something to help. Maybe send someone along to help him out. He trembles with anxiety in the early morning sun, his hoodie soaked through from the rain during the night.

Tex wakes up early on a Monday morning. The bed next to her is empty. Checking the alarm clock next to her she sees that Church left for work about half an hour ago. She pulls herself out of bed and shuffles to the kitchen to put on some coffee. She takes care of morning hygiene and gets to some stretches. It’s not long before she's out the door, fitness clothes and running shoes on; phone, arm-strap, and headphones in hand. She always likes to greet the day with an early run at the park around the corner before heading to her work at the gym.

Tex is almost halfway around the trail jogging when she spots a guy, practically a teenager, looking sad and drenched with just a backpack and a dog. He didn't appear to be here to just feed the squirrels like the old folks scattered about the park. The stray-animal-feeding-helping-people part of her heart panged at her to go see how he is. Her hearts never led her astray before so she pauses her music, removes her earbuds, and heads up to the boy.

"Hey, kid, are you okay?" She asks with all the kindness of a mother.  
He looks up from his fidgeting hands revealing his red eyes and tear-stained face behind his floppy blonde hair. He pauses a moment as if thinking about the question, then quickly shakes his head.  
"Do you have a place to go?"  
Still not quite making eye-contact he shakes his head 'no'.  
She knows that there’s probably more 'correct' things to do, but this kid seems a mess and she wants him to be okay.  
"Well, how about I help you out for right now. I'll let you take a shower and get some dry clothes, you look like you need it. You'll catch a cold wearing these cold wet clothes."   
She watches the kid and he slowly nods and lets out a small humming noise.   
She loads the kid and his painfully light backpack and dog into her car and heads back to her home. She didn't expect to be leaving the park after only half a lap, but sometimes shit happens she guesses. 

She unlocks the modest home and lets the kid and his dog inside. She internally groans as the still damp Dalmatian jumps up on the couch in the living room, but there’s more important things to deal with at the moment.  
"You haven't said a thing since we've met. Can you speak?"  
He nods his head as he slips off his wet hoodie. He pauses and flails around his hands a bit looking as if he had something to say but can't spit it out. He looks helplessly towards Tex.  
"Would it help to write it down?"   
He vigorously nods and grabs the pen and paper the woman procures.  
He writes down in slow careful pen strokes 'Sorry. Yes I can talk but it is hard to when there’s too much stuff.'  
He pauses a bit before writing down the last word, finding it hard to come up with a better term for the feelings in his head.  
Tex nods, trying to understand.

"What’s your name, kid?"  
He writes, 'Caboose'.  
"Well alright Caboose, how about we get you a shower first. When you get out you can put on some of my husband's clothes. They might not fit perfect, but it’s what I got. Oh, I totally forgot I'm sorry, my name's Allison, but you can call me Tex. Everyone else does."  
She says this with an encouraging smile and gets Caboose to give a small smile back.  
Caboose nods and takes the clothes and towel Tex hands him and heads into the bathroom for a nice warm shower.

Tex sighs as she thinks about the task she's brought upon herself. She's stuck herself with a partially speaking kid, he only appears to be around maybe 18, and his dog. She wonders what his story is, maybe he'll be able to tell her once he calms down a bit and gets warm and comfortable. Her eyes travel to the primary blue backpack sitting in Church's chair in the living room. It’s a pretty nice backpack, seems pretty new, but of course it’s soaked just like Caboose and his dog. She doesn't mean to pry too much, but she opens up the backpack to see what's inside. It can’t be that much, it’s so light and flat it may as well be empty.  
Unzipping the backpack she finds a plastic folder full of important documents: birth certificate, health records, passport, etc. Apparently his name is Michael Jason Caboose and he is 21 years old. Also in the bag is a surprisingly large wad of cash.

She shoves the folder back in the bag. She sighs. Was he just kicked out of wherever he lived before to fend for himself? If he was just sitting at the park panicking and getting rained on for who knows how long, she doubts that he was ready to be dumped out on his own. She vaguely wonders what to do with him, but sets that thought aside for a bit later. She glances at the clock, she should get ready to get to work at the gym soon. She mentally pulls herself together and heads to her bedroom to get her bag ready for work.

It's not long later when Caboose steps out of the bathroom wearing once of Church's t-shirts and some elastic waisted shorts from when Church said he was going to try exercising (he never did). He holds the damp towel and his wet clothing in his arms. He looks around a little for Tex, then sees her inside the room right next to the bathroom. The door is open and she’s in her bedroom putting stuff into a black bag. She doesn't notice him until he lets out a small "Hello."  
She snaps around. "Oh hey Caboose. Here I'll take those and put them in the wash."   
She does as she said and Caboose goes to sit on the couch next to Freckles in the living room.  
"I have to leave for work in just a few, I was thinking I could take you with me and you could hang out with one of my friends until I get off. Would that be okay with you?"  
He starts to nod his head, but interrupts himself with a small "Yeah," he clears his throat and says another, stronger "Yeah".  
"Alright, Buddy, let’s get going then."


End file.
